13 killed, N623m property destroyed in 268 fire incidents last year

Thirteen lives and property worth N625 million were destroyed in 268 fire incidents in Plateau last year, according to Mr. Michael Dung, Director, Plateau State Fire Service.

Dung told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday in Jos that the service was able to rescue seven lives and property worth N4.2 billion during the period.

He said that 213 residential houses and 45 commercial places were gutted down during the period, and revealed that the highest number of incidents happened during the Harmattan period usually seen by fire service workers as the “fire season”.

“Usually, during the Harmattan season, we experience a lot of fire outbreaks; this is associated with the weather that is very windy and dry.

“From our experiences, any little spark can be fanned by the wind into an inferno if not immediately attended to,” he said.

Other factors responsible for fire outbreaks, he said, included the usage of hot coals to warm rooms.

"When a spark from the coal touches the mattress or blanket, it leads to fire outbreaks.

“Power surge also lead to fire outbreaks, especially in our society where people tend to forget to turn off their electrical appliances before leaving home or going to bed,” he further explained.

Dung regretted that some victims had often refused to invite the Fire Service when in trouble because of the wrong assumption that the servcies were always paid for.

"In a bid to avoid paying such fee, they try to control the fire and only alert us when they can no salvage the situation,” he said.

He said that the services "were absolutely free”, and urged members of the public to be quick to alert his office to ensure quick response that would reduce the damage.